Friday, October 10, 2014

Pumpkin Games Pumpkin Books

What can you get at the Dollar Tree for Halloween? Orange loofahs and treat bag sacks for fun learning! Loofahs (seen in the picture below) make perfect balls for kid's activities at school and home. I keep several different colors on hand to play all kinds of learning games to teach letters, sounds, phonics, and math skills too.

You can cover the orange loop at the top with green masking tape to make it look like the stem on a pumpkin. Or you can color regular masking tape green with a marker.

PASS THE PUMPKIN - LEARNING GAMES

These games can be played whole group, small group, or individually. If playing individually, your child can toss, catch, and say instead of passing around the circle. If you are playing with your child, you can pass it back and forth between you.

For whole group and small group, begin with passing the pumpkin. When they have learned this procedure, you can teach the children how to gently toss the pumpkin to the next person to help work on gross motor skills while playing the games too. The bath loofah is easy to catch because the children can grip it more easily.

1. Pass the Pumpkin Letter Sounds - Pass around during circle time. Children say a word that begins with the letter p.

2. Pass the Pumpkin Rhyming - Pass around during circle time. Say a word. First child says a word that rhymes with it and then passes the pumpkin to the next child. Game continues until you run out of rhymes or you can choose a new word and keep going. Words given can be nonsense or pretend words too as long as they rhyme.

3. Pass the Pumpkin Phonemic Awareness Segmenting - Pass around during circle time. Say a word. Children segment the word that was said. For example, the teacher or adult says cat. The child would toss and catch the sounds "c" "a" "t".

4. Pass the Pumpkin Phonemic Awareness Segmenting - Pass around during circle time. Say a word. Children will segment the word using the pumpkin as a prop. Pumpkin on head for first sound, pumpkin on shoulder for middle sound, pumpkin on knee for last sound. For example, the teacher or adult says cat: Child puts pumpkin on head and makes the sound of "c." Child puts pumpkin on shoulder and says "a." Child puts pumpkin on knee and says "t." Child puts the pumpkin in both hands and says the word - cat, then passes the pumpkin to the next child. Each child can segment the same word all around the circle (practice, practice, repeat) or you can give each child a different word. I usually give the same word as we are learning to segment. This helps reinforce the skill. Children can retain the word in their head if they see the picture of the word. Use CVC words with picture clues to help children that are struggling with this activity. CVC words are consonant-vowel-consonant words such as hat, cat, bat, pig, dog, top, mop, etc.

5. Pass the Pumpkin Vocabulary - Pass around during circle time. Children say a word that is associated with fall.

6. Pass the Pumpkin Vocabulary - Pass around during circle time. Children say a word that is associated with Halloween.

7. Pass the PumpkinNonfiction Learning - Children name a fact or something they've learned about pumpkins.

8. Toss the Pumpkin Counting - Have one pumpkin for every two players. Have the children toss the pumpkin back and forth and count how many times they can keep it going (toss and catch). You can set a predetermined amount of times they can start over again, give them a sand timer, or play music.

9. Toss the Pumpkin Counting On - Students toss back and forth counting as above. When they drop the pumpkin, they start off where they left off (counting on). For example, they toss and catch to 9. The next time they start with 10 and count up.

10. Toss the Pumpkin Skip Counting - Students toss back and forth counting as above except they count by 5's, 10's, or 2's.

11. Toss the PumpkinGreater Than, Less Than, Equal - Students toss back and forth counting as above. Children can record each count on a piece of paper. When the game is over, have them circle the largest number and underline the smallest number. If they write the numbers in a horizontal line, they can go back and put greater than, less than, and equal signs between the numbers.12. Pumpkin, Pumpkin Turn AroundRhyming and Language Fun(AKA - Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear Turn Around) Here are some rhymes to say using the pumpkin as a prop. You can add to or take away lines. The goal of this game is following directions and practicing rhyming words. The teacher/adult can say the first line, then the student says the next rhyming line. Or they teacher/adult can say the rhymes leaving of the last word. The children say the rhyming word at the end.

Pumpkin, pumpkin big and round.

Pumpkin, pumpkin touch the ground.

Pumpkin, pumpkin on a sprout.

Pumpkin, pumpkin punch it out.

Pumpkin, pumpkin on the vine.

Pumpkin, pumpkin on my spine.

Pumpkin, pumpkin in a patch.

Pumpkin, pumpkin toss and catch.

Pumpkin, pumpkin in a pie.

Pumpkin, pumpkin on my eye.

Pumpkin, pumpkin on my hair.

Pumpkin, pumpkin in the air.

Pumpkin, pumpkin on my nose.

Pumpkin, pumpkin on my toes.

Pumpkin, pumpkin on my hand.

Pumpkin, pumpkin I will stand.

Pumpkin, pumpkin you're so bumpy.

Pumpkin, pumpkin you make me jumpy.

Pumpkin, pumpkin turn around.

Pumpkin, pumpkin sit back down.

PASS THE PUMPKIN - PARTY GAMES

1. Hot Pumpkin (AKA Hot Potato)
Turn on some Halloween or fall music. Children pass the pumpkin around the circle. Stop the music randomly. Whoever is holding the pumpkin goes into the pumpkin patch (middle of the circle). Game continues until one person wins.

2. Toss the Pumpkin
Have one pumpkin for every two players. Turn on music. Have the children toss the pumpkin back and forth and count how many times they can keep it going until the song is over.

3. Toss and Catch
This game requires more room. Divide children into pairs. Have them face each other. Have them toss and catch. If they catch it without dropping, they take one step back. If it drops, they toss again. Make a predetermine ending mark for when the game is over. For example when you reach this line or you reach the wall. Remind them of safety procedures as always.

4. Pumpkin Basketball
Have the children use the pumpkin loofahs as basketballs to throw through small hoops or into baskets on the floor.

PUMPKIN TREAT BAG BOOKS

Purchase seasonal bags from the Dollar Tree. They are packaged 10 to a bag and make great covers for books.

Cut the paper sack down the ride side of the bag.

Cut off the side as seen above.

Cut off the bottom of the bag.

Open up paper sack.

Fold in half.

Take 2-4 pieces of 8 1/2 x 11 copy paper.

Fold in half.

Place inside paper sack cover.

Staple book on the left side.

Your book is ready!

IDEAS FOR BOOKS

1. Make a Pumpkin, Pumpkin What Do You See book modeled after Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See by Bill Martin, Jr. and Eric Carle.

Pumpkin, pumpkin
What do you see?
I see a scarecrow looking at me.
Scarecrow, scarecrow
What do you see?
I see an owl looking at me.
Owl, owl
What do you see?
I see a bat looking at me.

Children can write the words and draw the pictures, or they can be wordless books or label books for younger children. Children can still read their story being guided by the pictures.

2. Trick-or-Treat Halloween Book
Children write a story about Halloween.

3. Fall Sticker Book
Children use stickers to illustrate their stories. Add background scenery to go with stickers.

Disclosure: Amazon links included.

4. All About Autumn/Fall.
Children write a story about the things you see during autumn.

5. Life Cycle of a Pumpkin book
Read a book about the life cycle of a pumpkin. Children make their own book about the life cycle of a pumpkin.

6. Children write a story about topic of their choice.

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